Tehran, Iran, July 6, 2026: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has praised Iran’s national football team for their “exceptional quality” in a message posted on his personal social media page.
Iran finished its campaign at the FIFA 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada with three draws and three points in its group, and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockout stage.
Infantino posted: “Remaining unbeaten through a challenging FIFA World Cup group stage is a remarkable feat that proved your exceptional quality and teamwork to the world. Unfortunately it was not enough to progress but your passion and desire was there for all to see.”
The FIFA President also thanked the Iranian players for their courageous performances and for making their fans proud.
“Thank you for playing with such heart and for giving everyone so much to be proud of,” Infantino added.
Iran drew with New Zealand 2-2, Belgium 0-0 and Egypt 1-1. However, despite three points, they failed to make it into the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
